In May through July of 2023, we focused on the “Surprising Things about Jesus.” Here are the posts, podcasts, and discussions we published during that time.
By Dr. Erin K. Vearncombe|2023-07-09T23:07:47-04:00July 12th, 2023|Tags: Biblical Violence, Crucifixion, Gospel of John, Surprising Things about Jesus|
Given the centrality of Jesus’s death to the traditions of Christianity that emerged out of the ancient world, precision in our imagining and recounting of this death is of the utmost importance.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-07-02T03:58:52-04:00July 5th, 2023|Tags: Christianity, Early Christian Communities, Eternal Life, Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Surprising Things about Jesus|
He (Mani) saw himself as not only teaching Christianity, but THE Christianity. So, what happened historically? You have competition. You have competition between the leaders who think they are the ones who are teaching the correct version. An interview with Dr. Jason BeDuhn
By Dr. B. Brandon Scott|2023-06-27T00:39:45-04:00June 28th, 2023|Tags: Jesus, Religion, Surprising Things about Jesus|
Literacy is at the heart of protestant Christianity. Reading the Bible is the way to salvation, a notion unknown before the reformation. . . But the Bible in our sense is unknown in the ancient world.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-06-27T03:28:57-04:00June 27th, 2023|Tags: Early Christian Art, Gender Issues, Jesus, Surprising Things about Jesus|
This discussion focuses on the role of art in our understanding of Jesus. Chad Venters will explore the ancient concepts of gender and how these concepts may surprise us, especially our mental images of Jesus. Presenters: Dr. Chad Venters and Dr. Shirley Paulson
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-06-09T17:54:13-04:00June 14th, 2023|Tags: Jesus, Surprising Things about Jesus|
How is it that Jesus has had such a profound and enduring impact on the world since his birth over two millennia ago? This may well be the question that prompted the quest for the historical Jesus in the first place.
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-06-10T01:02:01-04:00June 7th, 2023|Tags: Church, Empowerment, Jesus, Racial Justice, Social Justice, Surprising Things about Jesus|
If we listen to one another – which I think is a fundamental act of love – if we listen to one another’s experience, then we can begin to see how multi-faceted this experience of Jesus is. An interview with Dr. Joseph Bessler
By Dr. Erin K. Vearncombe|2023-05-31T01:18:59-04:00May 31st, 2023|Tags: Clothing, Jesus, Racial Justice, Surprising Things about Jesus|
Looking past popular depictions of Jesus to get a sense of how he would have appeared to others is hugely important because his appearance tells us a lot about who he was and what he really taught.
By Dr. B. Brandon Scott|2023-05-24T02:50:47-04:00May 24th, 2023|Tags: Church, Early Church, Jesus, John the Baptist, Surprising Things about Jesus|
Did Jesus study with Buddhist monks in India? Were the official documents from Jesus’s trial before Pilate kept in Rome? Did Jesus establish the Christian church?
By Shirley Paulson, PhD|2023-05-24T02:50:25-04:00May 23rd, 2023|Tags: Bible, Gospel of John, Gospel of Mark, Gospels, Surprising Things about Jesus|
The Gospel of John has been overlooked in the historical search for Jesus. Surprisingly, this gospel is a more valuable resource than most scholars have admitted recently. Presenters: Dr. Paul N. Anderson and Dr. Shirley Paulson
